FTII chairman Anupam Kher questions why can't people stand up for National Anthem for 52 seconds

Pune: Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Sunday said if people can wait at the restaurants, stand in the queues in front of the movie halls or party venues, why can't they stand for 52 seconds for the National Anthem in cinema halls.

Kher was in Pune to receive the Pramod Mahajan Memorial Award.

File image of actor Anupam Kher. Facebook

Along with Kher, Shayara Bano, the original petitioner in the triple talaq case, too was conferred with the award, constituted in the name of the late BJP leader.

Kher, during his speech, lambasted those who are opposing the idea of making the National Anthem mandatory inside the cinema halls.

"Some people are of the opinion that standing up for the National Anthem should not be made mandatory, but for me, standing up for the National Anthem shows the upbringing of that person.

"We stand up in respect in front of our father or teacher, similarly getting up for the National Anthem shows respect towards our nation," Kher said.

"If people can wait at the restaurants, stand in the queues in front of the cinema halls or at the party venues, why cannot they stand for 52 seconds for the National Anthem in the cinema halls," he said.

Kher, while raking up the issue of 'award-waapsi', said that when he was 15-years-old, his father taught him how to deal with failure when he failed in the examination.

"At the age of 15 I learnt how to deal with failure so these 'award wapasi' people cannot scare me," he said.

The awards are given by city-based organisation Muktachhand, run by BJP MLA Medha Kulkarni, and handed over by Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar.

BJP MP and daughter of late Pramod Mahajan, Poonam Mahajan was also present at the event.